Sermons from St. Stephen's Boise

Our bishop, The Rt. Rev. Jos Tharakan, preached during his annual visit to St. Stephen's! Channeling the experience of Rebecca, it is kindness that marks her story. Bishop Jos shared part of his own story, that kindness is how he has come to know freedom in America -- not as something to hold on to but to give freely -- like grace. + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ kn...

The Binding of Isaac in Genesis 22 presents us with a difficult story, one in which we reach our limits of understanding. As listeners, we may need to be prepared to hear the story as people, like Isaac, who are bound -- that our help will not come from ourselves but from God whose intention is to rescue us. + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St....

The narrative of the book of Genesis takes a slight detour away from the "main" story to tell the of Hagar and Ishmael. Through the lens of their desparation and need, we learn more about the God who sees and hears. + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise.org

Join us as we delve into the story of Isaac's miraculous birth and the unfolding wonder of God's promises. This episode explores how divine acts defy human logic, urging us to keep room in our hearts for the unimaginable. We reflect on personal stories of faith, resilience, and divine presence in our lives, discovering how these narratives connect us to the larger tapestry of God's work. Like Sara...

We were thrilled to welcome our retired bishop, The Rt. Rev. Brian Thom, to celebrate and preach at St. Stephen's! + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise.org

Join us on Trinity Sunday as we delve into the profound mystery of the Holy Trinity. Unlike other feast days, today we are invited not to celebrate a singular event, but to marvel at God's relational nature. The concept of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—though not explicitly named in the Bible, is deeply rooted in scripture and tradition. We explore how the Trinity is not merely a theolo...

Carol McCoy offers her final sermon at St. Stephen's as a seminarian. As we gather on the Day of Pentecost, we are encouraged to know the Holy Spirit as bringer of new life and transforming power! + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise.org

As we near the close of the great fifty days of Easter, we reflect on the transformative power of the resurrection in our lives. This podcast episode explores the journey of the disciples from fear to faith, uncertainty to trust, and timid questioning to bold proclamation, as chronicled throughout Eastertide and the Book of Acts. Despite initial doubts and eagerness to fast-forward their mission,...

"There is a mother's heart in the heart of God." Eileen O'Shea preached today about our call not just to honor our mothers but to become more like God's mothering love -- not male or female or other, but as a people who nurture hope, who remain present, who comfort instead of condemn, who make room for others to belong. + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to other...

"Do not let the things that trouble you separate you from Jesus." Jesus offers his life that we might know him as the way of life. Today, we consider how our mission to know Christ informs all we do -- how will knowing the life of Jesus renew our prayers, our communities, and our lives? + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www...

Join us in exploring the transformative power of living a life guided by faith. This sermon delves into the contrast between life as we've known it and life as it can be when we follow the voice of the Good Shepherd. Reflect on the Easter story and the early church, where fear gave way to courage and community. Discover how scripture challenges our modern instincts and invites us to live selflessl...

Carol McCoy preaches on the importance of taking on difficult passages of scripture for the sake of our Christian community. What can 1 Peter teach us about including all people? + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise.org

Thomas sees and believes, yet Jesus offers his enigmatic line to end the story: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." It is not to shame him but prepare him for his ministry to come. How does the story of Thomas -- his courage, his questions, his belief -- prepare us to help others who have yet to see Christ? + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Ch...

Alleluia! Christ is risen! As we give thanks for Christ's new life on Easter, we must remember that, because of the resurrection, we are finished with death. Why then do we keep looking for its ways?! Instead, we follow our risen Lord and know that there is nothing left to fear. + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststeph...

Join us as we delve into the profound and deeply human story of the Passion. In this sermon, we reflect on the powerful emotions stirred by the Passion narrative, from horror and sadness to hope and gratitude. It's a story that reveals the depths of human experience, bringing us face to face with our own humanity and the possibilities of what God can accomplish. As we navigate Holy Week, we explor...

Carol McCoy preaches on the importance of acknowledging our scriptures when they speak of death. Mary and Martha cry out to the Lord in the depth of their sorrow, and they turn to him for help in their time of grief. Will we also turn to Jesus in moments of uncertainty? + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise....

Jesus heals a blind man in John 9, but the disciples and Pharisees question what they see. How can a change of heart help us see the order and ways of God? + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise.org

As Jesus and the Woman at the Well meet in John 4, they press through their differences to find common ground in the identity of the Messiah. Can we also look for commonality in the midst of our differences? + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise.org

After a quiet retreat day at St. Stephen's, we consider the stories of Abram, Paul, and Nicodemus and ask "what will we allow for God to show us" in the midst of silence and contemplation? + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise.org

The Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness in Matthew 4. Before Jesus asks others to hunger after righteousness, he experiences his own hunger. What else does Jesus learn in the wilderness, and can we follow his example and put ourselves in uncomfortable places this Lent to learn as he did? + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online:...

As we prepare for Lent with the story of the Transfiguration, how can we hear Peter's experience and the words of his second letter to see the world through the light of Christ? + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise.org

Carol McCoy, our seminarian, offers her sermon on the importance of justice -- justice as known in the prophets, the life of Jesus, and the lives of Christian people. + We're a church on a mission to know Christ and to make Christ known to others. Visit St. Stephen's online: www.ststephensboise.org

"As a society, it feels more and more that everyday we are teetering on the knife's edge. Many of us are feeling that the Gospel might compel us to the responsibility of choosing the 'right' side. I believe the Gospel also gives us another option: to take a step back from all of it and to do everything that we can to remove that knife altogether. Blessed are the peacemakers, indeed." + We're a chu...

St. Paul asks the Church in Corinth to be of the same mind and purpose. What would he ask the people and Church in America today? Why we can't agree on what is true? Why we put our trust in force? Why violence is so often celebrated? When will we repent for the killing of innocents in our streets? "The world is too dangerous for anything but truth, and too small for anything but love." + We're a c...

On Baptism as a commitment to nonviolence and belonging to one another: "To separate each other, as we have in our hearts, minds, and rhetoric, is a first and easy step to no longer belonging to each other. It has taken over as an instinct in our lives, and I'm here to tell to you resist it. Forsake that instinct! Do not find a home in your heart for the ways of violence or revenge or separation f...